#THE. MOST. ADORABLE. BEAN. EVER. YOU. CANNOT. CONVINCE. ME. OTHERWISE

[marveldc-imagines-hub]

So I heard you were taking requests for Vision x Reader x Wanda and I would just love little dating headcanons (sfw or nsfw or both whichever you do) also just wanted to say I adore your writing and cannot wait to see what else you come up with 🥰

A/N: Guys, look at our icons, I’m obsessed.

NSFW is under the cut. There’s very little there and it’s not very graphic because I headcanon Vision as gray-ace and Wanda as demisexual, which I mention in that section, but I digress. Please be respectful either way and don’t read if you’re under 18!

~~~

Poly!WandaVision

SFW

They are the touchiest people ever, both of them

Casual touching at literally all times

Hands on legs, arms around shoulders, hands on the small of your back and probably resting on your thigh

They both love to hold hands but for different reasons; Wanda gets comfort out of it and Vision just really likes the human connection

Kinda the same deal with hugging, comfort, and human connection, but either way, they both love a good hug

If you two have the time and you’ll let him, Vision will literally just stand and hug you forever

He loves it

Wanda gives a lot of little squeezes

Hand squeezes, arm squeezes, hip squeezes when her arm is around your waist

Her touch always lingers a little bit, like she’s worried everyone she touches will disappear immediately after

Please! Kiss! Her hands!

Most of her power comes from/forms from her hands, so just let her know on the occasion that her hands are in fact not weapons of mass destruction but wonderful soft things to hold and smooch and paint the nails of

Bow to her and do it, get dramatic with it, act like you’re a knight and she’s a princess, she’ll be equally flustered and amused, she loves the cheese even though it will be very difficult to get her to admit it

Vision often has his arms around both you and Wanda while sitting anywhere

He also just like. touches both your backs a lot

Hands on the small of your back or around your waist while walking or escorting you inside

Casual soft back and shoulder rubs as just a general sign of affection

Back rubs and fingers playing across your spine and shoulder blades while cuddling

Speaking of which

So much cuddling

Like most of the time, it’s not even intentional

The three of y’all will just be sitting on the couch chatting after dinner and over the course of the conversation you find yourselves just tangled around each other

Sitting close together all the time and having quiet and sometimes even silent conversations 

Like just glancing between each other and making facial expressions and being able to 100% understand each other

If there is not a way to sit close to each other, you guys somehow manage

Again, it’s mostly unintentional

You guys just gravitate towards each other

Soft! Kisses! All! The time!

Vision’s just overall more affectionate because he loves the humanity in it

And also making his partners get all soft and flustered gives him the biggest amounts of Sarah Tonin

You blush at a flirty pun he makes? Oh, look, Sarah just moved in next door, how weird

Wanda’s a little more subdued in initiating affection but she absolutely melts into it whenever affection comes her way

No full names here, only pet names 

Darling, honey, wife/husband/partner, little cabbage/tomato, Vision using random shit as compliments like you’re his favorite pair of dress shoes

Vision has a little bit of himbo energy, ngl

You and Wanda put up with his robo-weird and on the occasion correct him if it’s something important

But for the most part it’s very harmless and very cute and you love it

Call! Wanda! Your! Magical girl!

Call! Wanda! Your! (Favorite!) Superhero! 

Tell! Vision! That he’s! Your favorite! Pair of socks!

Casually calling them Cosmo and Wanda and neither of them gets it but Vision thinks you mean cosmo like the flower and he loves being called a flower

Also synthezoid/robo-puns

You definitely have called him your toaster oven after he’s brought you breakfast

You and Vision teaming up to tease Wanda

You and Wanda teaming up to tease Vision

Wanda and Vision teaming up to tease you

Random dancing and twirling and just overall being dramatic

If they were normal and had normal/not terrible childhoods (or childhood at all, in Vision’s case), they would be theater kids and no one can tell me otherwise

Wanda and Vision are both just. Absolutely horrible about remembering special events

Here’s to hoping you aren’t as well, otherwise y’all are all just celebrating random anniversaries you missed months ago every day or your guys just don’t celebrate anything ever

Actually, it’s probably the former, Vision’s a romantic and treats every day like something special is going on

Wanda’s also a softie for romance but again, she’s more subdued about it

She never wants to go too far into it because she’s always worried something bad is going to happen and there’s nothing y’all can do to convince her otherwise

And that’s on survivor’s guilt and just general trauma

They both unintentionally flirty things or just say something in That Type of Way

But they also get so flustered if you also do the thing

Vision will just randomly call you a pet name in a voice two octaves deeper than normal and it’s an “oh no, he’s hot” moment every single time

They don’t do dates very much because they’re weird and also just sort of forget dates are a thing that exists so if you’re a go-out-on-dates person, you’ll be pampering your babes

But also if you’re also not a date person, all that leaves is more time to snuggle at home which is perfectly wonderful too

Compliments and reassurance and open communication around every corner!

NSFW (sort of)

Tbh, I see Vision gray-ace if not entirely ace and Wanda as being demisexual and not super sex-oriented in general, so I don’t see much sexy time happening much

And yes I know Billy and Tommy exist but as far as I’m concerned they popped out of Wanda’s head like Athena from Zeus’s forehead (well, more like she magically impregnated herself with magic and with Vision in mind as the father; birth via brainwaves and magic vs genetics) or it was one of those things that it was more of a mutual agreement to do the do than them being horny

Also I just, in general, don’t personally think Vis has the function of finishing, y’know

No action of shooting seamen off the ship is found in his hardware if you get my drift

I don’t think he has sexual urges either, but he does love to please and feel his partner, so

Anyway though

Neither of them is sex-repulsed and are down for sexual intimacy if that’s important to you because whatever’s important to their partner is important to them too

If not, then cool beans, y’all will just snuggle and spoon

They’re just so sweet okay I love them so much

B u t if you don’t headcanon them as somewhere on the ace spectrum, here are some thoughts off the top of my head

They’re pretty vanilla and it’s mostly just fluffy and romantic

Like sappy, passionate rom-com stuff

Vision can and will pull out all the stops

Willing to try out lighter kinks if that’s their partner’s interest though

Hard no’s on anything that deliberately causes harm

More elaborate bondage (I know bondage doesn’t necessarily cause discomfort, I’m just using it as an of something that might) and other kinks that could cause general discomfort is not their cup of tea

Involving their powers is a hard no for Wanda for a really, really long time but she might eventually come around to very light magic play with a lot of reassurance and set boundaries; Vision might be down depending on what you’re interested in and occasionally his powers will just kinda. join in on their own

Some times he float 

Vision is a soft top usually

Wanda’s vers

Whatever you are, they’re happy to accommodate 

Vision likes to take his time exploring and worshiping his partners’ bodies

Wanda is pretty soft and vulnerable as it’s one of the few times she’s willing to fully let her guard down

Compliments and check-ins abound

Aftercare (even after the light stuff) and cuddling after the deed is a must

Uhhh that’s all I got tbh, like I said, I feel like they’re both on the ace spectrum

[tsengyiing]

i see you're a woman of culture as well *tea sip* who's your top 5 haikyuu characters and why?

ah yes *sips tea with you* let me pull out my folder of hq best Bois real quick

kinda manga spoilers below?? you have been warned

akaashi keiji

yalls already KNOW this man has my whole HEART. a true prince. he's just so soft yet stern. he's so devoted and supportive as well. also. idk if yalls read haikyuu-bu!! the spin off series of haikyuu!! but he has major crack head energy that doesnt get shown in the regular series and i LOVE IT. he's smart and pays a lot of attention to the people who he cares deeply for. i feel like most people think akaashi doesnt have much emotion, BUT YO. this boy just does a good job at keeping it all inside. he's actually so sweet and funny at the same time.

kuroo tetsurou

oh boy. this man makes me question myself. i am a loyal akaashi stan BUT KUROO IS JUST 👀👀👀👀 I don't wanna say im a simp for him BC IM NOT i just really really love kuroo. he's funny, a leader, CHEM NERD, a dog person. and on top of that. hes hot so i mean 😗 ya know?? NOT SAYING I LIKE KUROO ONLY BC HES HOT, thats just a bonus. i think for me, i really look for someone who i know i would be able to joke around with and just relax and kuroo is literally that. he just gives off really welcoming home-y vibes ya feel?

kita shinsuke

KITA IS MY BABIE AND I LOVE AND ADORE HIM SO MUCH. hes literally the cutest lil bean ever. the way he takes care of his team 🥺 the way he loves his grandma 🥺 the way he still takes care of 'tsumu and is trade partners with 'samu 🥺 kita is definitely a hard working person and i really love that about him. now i know most people are like "he's a robot" or "he doesnt have a lot of emotions" HE DOES. HE JUST DOESNT LIKE TO SHOW IT TO PEOPLE. oh shoot. i think i have a type. going back to haikyuu-bu, there was a chapter where the miya twins were trying to get kita to laugh ultimately failing in the end BUT WHEN HE SAW HIS GRANDMA 🥺❤️ my heart melted. kita has the cutest smile and you cannot convince me otherwise. period.

iwaizumi hajime

ah yes. a man among men. i am 100% not an oikawa stan but an iwa-chan stan? SAY NO MORE. for me, hes just an overall really well created character. we appreciate that furudate ✊ he may be a little rough around the edges and not a smooth talker like oikawa, but he definitely has a lot of other great qualities that make him stand out too! he has a real special place in my heart. idk how to explain it, but yeah lol. he gives off those protective vibes and that makes me feel safe. also i feel like even though iwa doesnt seem much of a pda person he gives really good hugs. i dont make the rules

osamu miya

*cough*thesuperiortwin*cough* IM JOKING LOL or am i 👀 atsumu stans dont come after me pls. osamu is most definitely the quiet one out of the 2, but i love that he still is able to share how he's feeling without being overshadowed by 'tsumu. i dont have a twin, thank goodness, but i do know how it feels to be overshadowed by your sibling. he's a real good solid character and i think steadfast/stability works really well for him especially since he owns an onigiri shop. pls cook for me 'samu. also. hes so responsible. like wow. i can actually trust someone to cook a whole meal without burning the kitchen my brother almost lit his croissant on fire in the microwave while my parents were out. this is why i have trust issues with boys in the kitchen

honorable mentions :)

ushijima wakatoshi

sugawara koushi

semi eita

[bokutokoutarou]

congrats on 1k love! may i get a matchup? 3rd years, any school preferred! 5'3" bi girl. I’d say I’m curious, open-minded, analytical & talkative (I can talk for hours if not stopped hh). i enjoy learning new things (so long as I’m not being graded on it bc Oh Boy do I procrastinate!) I try my best to be a good friend, & to prioritise compassion & patience. I’d like to think I’m creative (I love to write!) but, i tend to overthink & catastrophise bc ANXIETY. I can also be a bit sensitive (1/2)✨

i’m also prone to feeling down, but I’m working on it! i’m trying my hardest to be optimistic. my sense of humour is pretty “adaptable,” but it errs on the side of absurd (i can be a bit of a goblin sometimes). v affectionate w loved ones! my interests are varied, but if I had to pick a few it’d be anthropology, history and mythology/folklore. other than writing, i enjoy reading (when I can commit to a book). friendship is v important to me, & i have a lot of love to give. thank you sm! (2/2)✨

aaah tysm babie! i hope u like ur matchups

side note: this was sent in during my temporary 1k event. matchups are closed unless i hold another event for them

your first mini matchup is...

SUGAWARA KOUSHI

A WHOLE GOBLIN COUPLE AGSHSHSH

suga’s the perfect mix of an adorable and caring bean + a chaotic disaster, and his personality would mesh really well w/ urs

suga loves showing affection just like u do, so prepare to be SHOWERED with his love because he honestly has so much of it to give

he’d pull u into a hug every time he sees u, and he’d press small and gentle kisses to ur forehead as he asks u how your day was

also, just IMAGINE cuddles w/ suga aaah they’d be so precious and soft

of course, despite how adorable suga is, he’s also a goblin and he’d highkey LOVE ur absurd sense of humour

u two would both be so chaotic with each other, and just IMAGINE all the inside jokes that u two would have (no one could understand them even if they tried to bc they’re so absurd and random)

the whole team would think that u turned suga into a goblin, but he has always been one — it’s just that now he has someone to be one with: you

also, i feel like u’d highkey get suga interested in mythology and folklore. at first u just brought it up randomly one day when u were talking, but then he pestered u into telling him more stories and legends and now it’s just a regular thing u two talk about

and he totally thinks it’s ADORABLE to see ur eyes light up in excitement whenever u talk about it aaaah

whenever ur feeling down or are anxious about smth, suga is legit the BEST person to calm u down

he’d play w/ ur hair and hold u in his arms, telling u that everything will be alright in the end and that he loves u more than anything else in the world

honestly, suga would treat u like a queen and u CANNOT convince me otherwise

your second mini matchup is...

KIYOKO SHIMIZU

urs and kiyoko’s personalities would balance each other’s out really well, and ur relationship would be literally perfect bc of it

ur really talkative and would get kiyoko to open up more, and ur the only person who can make her talk for hours on end

at first, tanaka and noya would LOVE u so much for making kiyoko talk more, but then they realized that u two were dating when u pulled her in for a kiss, and they died inside bc they were so jealous

although kiyoko will NEVER admit it, she finds ur chaotic “goblin” energy extremely endearing

ur sense of humour doesn’t make a lot of sense to her, but she finds it hilarious when u get riled up over the most absurd things

plus, she thinks it’s absolutely adorable when u laugh ahsjsjsjjsjsj

on the other hand, kiyoko’s the perfect person to help u when life gets difficult

if ur ever really anxious about smth or just need advice, KIYOKO’S GOT U SET

she literally gives the best advice and u CANNOT tell me otherwise. if ur ever catastrophising, she’ll assure u that things aren’t as bad as they seem, and she’ll give u all the support that u need to get through it

also, procrastination who? kiyoko’s not leaving ur side until ALL ur work is done, and she’ll encourage u and help u with it as much as she needs to

PLS LET HER READ UR WRITING! she’ll so invested in the plotlines and she’ll talk to u for hours about ur works in progress

and if u ever need an editor, kiyoko is DOWN to help u out!!!

kiyoko’s very intuitive, so she’ll pull u in for an unexpected hug if ur feeling down, and she’ll give u a soft kiss on the cheek to remind u that she’ll always be there for u when u need her

ahhshsjsjs i’m so soft for kiyoko help me

[sieben9]

“the final battle” impressions

{Quick request to anyone reading: I’m watching OUaT for the first time, and I want to avoid spoilers. So, if you want to discuss something spoilery, I’d be grateful if you could start a new post for that. Thank you!}

Ah Once, what am I going to do with you?

I mean, this episode was definitely an Experience™, that much is certain. Just… ::sighs::

Look, if I try to sum it up, I think the best I can do is “this was twenty minutes of a really good finale stuck inside a rushed ninety-minute wtf-fest. Also, those twenty minutes belong to a totally different season.

this is the sort of thing you’ve got to foreshadow at least a LITTLE

The acting was pretty damn good, though.

(Fair warning: don’t open this on mobile, there’s a ridiculous amount of pictures under the cut)

OK. So. Couple of things that I really liked up front, so I can gripe in peace later on. (And readers can skip whatever part they wish ; )

First, and I realise this is a weird thing to enjoy, but I loved how utterly despicable I found Fiona in this one. She may have hung around like a bad smell for most of the season without really doing much, but she sure stepped up her game for the occasion.

Seriously, if Rumple hadn’t killed her, I would have found a way. “Our son”, indeed.

Though, please, have some pity on the poor guy. At this point, he has killed both his parents, and one of them twice. That can’t be good for anyone.

oh look the wall robots are still there

And speaking of Rumple… dang, that was a good scene in the mines. What I loved most about it was that this was literally all him. Nobody would ever know what he did in there if he didn’t tell them, except for himself, and he still made the right choice. Despite being offered everything he ever wanted, despite being under the influence of his curse just as much as ever…

before you ask, yes, my mind did go Places

…and more literally than it’s usually shown. Well done, pal. I should probably be more excited about this, but despite the tense buildup, I feel like the scene kind of fizzled as a whole. Maybe because he already made the exact same choice earlier, and was just confirming that he really meant it, too. Still, it was a good moment, and I was very proud of this walking human disaster by the time it was done.

Some more on the topic of Rumple: congratulations on his acting skills. Rumple’s, not Robert Carlyle’s, specifically. Because there’s no way in hell I could have seen these photos…

…and kept a straight face. Honestly, I’m half convinced that they were a test by Fiona to see if he was awake after all.

Oh, and the book!

The book made it across! And you know why? Because Belle and her son have True Love, even if Gideon cannot remember that, because Fiona is The Worst. And Rumple worked so hard to make Gideon remember; it was heartbreaking to see. I mean, he had to do that for… what? Five hours? And he still couldn’t stand the thought that Gideon might believe his mother didn’t love him. It was a good scene, OK?

On a sillier note (but still unambiguously positive): Emma’s wardrobe came back for the finale!

I don’t know, it’s just nice to see.

Other things I loved a lot:

Any and all interactions between Regina and her now-settled other half. Just. Pure joy, even in the midst of the wtf-ery. And with the obvious standout-moment when the Queen goes and sacrifices herself to give the others that tiny bit of time they need to get back to their world and help Henry (and Emma, but I think we all know who the priority was in this case)

Just… damn. I’m still worried about this woman’s self-destructive streak in general, but this was a good moment. (It also helps that she got better. ‘cause that could have been really depressing otherwise.)

Oh, and since we’re speaking of Regina (or the Reginas, plural), I absolutely adored the speech she gave Emma. Just… I mean, I expect the hope speeches from Snow (and that one was pretty good, too), but this? I mean… wow. Please compare and contrast with season 1. Except you don’t have to, because Regina already did that, and it was beautiful.

Then we have an actual mirrored TLK (see below for a botched version…) in this very good moment:

Like, yes, I love bookends, and this was a great one. Calling back to the “holy crap why didn’t I see this coming” kiss in s1 worked surprisingly well, considering how little interaction Emma and Henry had this season, but there’s enough material in the show in general to make me buy into this. Like I said: sucker for bookends.

In general, I feel like this episode was at its strongest whenever re-focused on the family relationships between the characters.

And to close it out, the ending montage.

Just... it’s like Snow said. They get to live their happy endings now. Snowing finally have the time to be a proper family (and David got a dog!). Regina is accepted and loved by her people (and the Queen gets to have a completely “new adventure”, as Robin so aptly put it.) Snow can do what she loves and doesn’t have to fight all the time anymore. And Emma finally has a place in the world; one where she can settle and be comfortable and doesn’t have to be alone anymore... and I’ll just leave it at that. It’s a good ending.

And no, I haven’t forgotten it--obvious special mention to this bit here:

Yup. Killed me dead. And I died happy, thank you very much. They’ve been through so much bullshit, and now they can be together, and raise their son in peace, and won’t be really worried when he doesn’t stop growing, either.

I also want to give a special shoutout to the five six people who immediately made sure that I knew that 1) the kiss wasn’t scripted and 2) we, as a fandom, are extremely lucky to have Robert and Emilie. (For those who haven’t seen the interview in question, it’s here, and here)

The finishing dinner was nice, too, even if I’m not sure what the whole Last Supper imagery was supposed to do.

Listen, I’ve been going “just let them be happy!” for way too long to complain much when they finally are. Also, I could write an essay on the range of emotions Rumple goes through when he comes through that door and people are actually happy to see him and his family. Or about that look that passes between him and Regina, because I caught that and it made me cry! I don’t think either of them ever imagined they would really be this happy again when they first met and they’ve been through so much crap and just... guh. I like this. It’s a good closing shot.

And now, the rest.

Because frankly, this wasn’t a great finale. It wasn’t even that good of an episode. It was everything wrong with the 4B finale, only more of that.

For example: What was the deal with making Emma lose her belief? Since when was her belief required for the magical realms to exist? The only person who’s ever had even something approaching that function was Henry. She didn’t need to believe in magic to keep it alive, she needed it to break the curse.

And this was never set up as the Black Fairy’s plan. Not even a little. This came so out of left field, it wasn’t even in the same stadium! And it’s so frustrating, because this wasn’t a bad plot, as such, but there was no build-up, no real payoff, nothing. Or, let me put it differently: this was a perfectly fine plot resolution, it just had no business being attached to this season.

Everything felt rushed, there were about five dozen plot points, none of them with any time to breathe and somehow, we still got that terminally boring climb up the bean stalk.Sorry, David, you know I love you, but what was the point of that sidetrack? Nothing happened. There was no try-and-fail cycle (because there wasn’t time for one) and honestly, if you needed a handwave for how they got back from the magical realms, maybe you could have gone with a less time intensive one?

And that moment where Snow kisses David back to life? Yeah, unearned, again. And dear show: the cut-in from the first episode worked for the split-heart curse, because you were subverting it. But here? It just didn’t do anything. This wasn’t a parallel. David wasn’t cursed, he was crushed by a beanstalk.

And speaking of things that don’t make sense…

For the love of fuck. Her ankle? Really? This is such a cliché that even the slasher genre doesn’t do it anymore. And it’s a dumb cliché, too. It’s rooted sexism and it makes it look like you didn’t have any other ideas. I get it, you don’t want Belle with Rumple at that final point so she doesn’t influence his decision. Here’s a thought, then: let her stay behind for a good reason! Or, hell, if you don’t want to write a scene for her (the writers sure seem to be allergic to giving Belle any screentime), let there be a fork in the road! They don’t have the time to check each one, let Belle go one way and Rumple another. It’s still a lazy plot excuse, but at least it’s not the stupidest cliché in the book.

And one more thing…

::sigh:: I have such mixed feelings about this?

Because on the one hand: Gideon had a life that nobody would want. He was kidnapped, imprisoned, kept in the dark and abused for all of his twenty-eight years, and even if he got free, he would never get that time back. Nobody would ever choose that for themselves.

At the same time… Gideon died. The person I got to know over the last half-season is no more. He’s gone. And he never had any say in the matter. Hell, he didn’t even get to say goodbye. It’ just such a messed-up way to get a wonderful thing.

(Also, while I’m on that topic… yes, I did notice that Rumple didn’t recognise his very tiny son at first, and I realise that it’s because he’s never seen him before. It prompted a particularly long “oh noo…”, too.)

And finally…

… that cliffhanger/teaser, though, huh?

I have so many questions. Why was Henry in that monster forest? Why is he now in an apartment and doesn’t remember his daughter? When did he get a daughter? (Also, who with? Enquiring minds would like to know.)

So. I know, like, three things about s7, and one of them is the cast list. Please try not to spoil anything else, because that’s already way more than I wanted to know going in. Seriously, I’m a reasonably grown adult. I can deal with a couple of surprises.

[cookingawe]

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Love Spell Cake

New Post has been published on https://cookingawe.com/strawberry-chocolate-chip-love-spell-cake/

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Love Spell Cake

Charm your beloved on Valentine’s Day with a slice of Strawberry-Chocolate Chip Love Spell Cake! White cake is studded with mini chocolate chips and layered with strawberry filling to celebrate the season’s most admired flavors.

I believe it was Oscar Wilde who opined about life imitating art. I agree, and if you need an example, look no further than this cake. It was inspired by a painting called “Love Spells” from one of my favorite artists. If you’ve never browsed the art of Janet Hill, then prepare to be delighted (click). She has a wonderful way of setting a mysterious scene, conveying nostalgia, and doing so with an effervescent spirit. There are times when I glimpse something personal and familiar in her paintings, and I think that’s probably true for many admirers of her work.

Under the painting’s spell, I fell in love with the heart-topped dome cake at first sight. I could only guess what the inside of the cake might be like, but the strawberries depicted at the bottom edge gave me a clue.

The chocolate chip cake layers may seem familiar, especially those who have tried my Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk Cake. I’ve used the formula again for this cake. The recipe makes a little more than you’ll need, so consider making a couple of cupcakes with the extra batter, or one tiny 5-inch cake (pictured upper right).

The baked cakes are sturdy with a dense crumb which is ideal for building a tall cake such as this one. A generous brushing of vanilla simple syrup will impart moisture to the layers – this is an important step that gives the cake its luscious texture, so don’t skip it!

Part of the filling is prepared strawberry glaze, which you can often find in the fresh produce section at the grocery store next to the strawberries (such as this brand). If you have a homemade strawberry glaze recipe, and prefer it to prepackaged – by all means use it! However, this recipe already has a few steps, and I felt the prepared glaze was a nice shortcut. Fresh sliced strawberries are the other filling component, which is so lovely and fresh layered throughout.

The heart topper is super easy to make using a 3.5-inch heart cutter (I have this set). Fondant can be used, but lately I’ve been loving the flavor of Satin Ice ChocoPan modeling chocolate (right here). It comes in lots of colors and the texture is easy to work with. And the flavor is best with the chippy interior of this cake! Knead a chunk of it and roll it to about 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly greased surface.

While the chocolate is still fresh, press white Sixlets pearls about 3/8″ from the outer edge. Insert a toothpick in the pointed tip of the heart and allow the piece to dry for about 1 hour, or until the heart is firm enough to stand upright.

The 1.5-inch heart cutter, from the same set used for the cake topper, makes the perfect sized strawberries for the bottom edge of the cake. Roll a piece of red modeling chocolate a little thicker than 1/4″. Cut about 14 hearts out and lay them aside.

For the strawberry stems, roll a piece of green modeling chocolate the same thickness, and use a small calyx cutter to stamp 15 pieces from the chocolate. Use the top of the 1.5-inch heart cutter to trim away two of the calyx leaves, as the top picture illustrates. Use a small art brush and water to coat top edge of the hearts, and then fit the trimmed calyx pieces to the hearts like puzzle pieces. Allow the pieces to stand until they are well adhered to each other, about 20 minutes. Use the pointed end of a skewer to make small indentations mimicking strawberry seeds.

I *almost* used fresh strawberry halves on the outside of the cake (which would probably look more like the inspiration picture) but the weeping nature of the acidic berries against sugary frosting convinced me otherwise. I’m happy to say this cake kept well in the refrigerator for a few days as I doled out slices to friends and family.

I absolutely adore old school boiled milk frosting. In my mind, nothing else would do for this particular cake. It’s so creamy and not as sweet as traditional buttercream. The dome is lightly brushed with powdered sugar, which gives it a matte finish (which is my interpretation of the painting).

Good gracious, is this cake ever delicious! The little bites of chocolate along with the fresh strawberry slices really creates that Chocolate-Covered Strawberry flavor.

The final flourish, Cupid’s arrow, is simply a long skewer, 12-inches, that I cut in half at the center. On one section I attached a paper triangle cut from a piece of copy paper; the other section has a scrap of paper treat bag that I fringed with scissors attached with double sided tape.

I had so much fun making this cake! There are several steps but they’re easy enough for just about anyone to manage.

Instructions for the decorations are not included with the recipe; refer to the blog post for guidance and resources. xo-h

Strawberry-Chocolate Chip Love Spell Cake Yields 20 servings

You may have a little cake batter left over, so consider making a mini 5-inch cake, or a few cupcakes with the leftovers.

Cake layers 6 cups cake flour, sifted 5 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I like peanut oil) 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar 8 egg whites, at room temperature 1 3/4 cups buttermilk 12 ounces (1 bag) mini chocolate chips

Vanilla Simple Syrup 1 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Boiled milk frosting 1/4 cup flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups whole milk 2 cups/1 lb unsalted butter, softened 2 cups caster sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract 1/2 cup regular sized semisweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Filling 1 pint strawberries, sliced 10 oz. strawberry glaze

Decors and powder coating (see blog post for decor instructions) 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1 (3.25 inch) modeling chocolate heart décor 14 (1.75 inch) modeling chocolate strawberry decors 12-inch skewer arrow

Make the cake layers: Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat two 8-inch baking pans and two 6-inch baking pans with flour-based baking spray (recommend Baker’s Joy).

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, oil and granulated sugar; mix until light and fluffy. Add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in the flour and buttermilk alternately with the mixer on low speed; begin and end with the flour. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Mixture will be thick. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the 6-inch cakes for 20-25 minutes, or until the center is firm and well-set. Bake the 8-inch cakes for 35-40 minutes, or until firm and well-set. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto wire cooling racks to cool completely. Level the tops of the cooled cakes with a large serrated knife or a cake leveler. Cut each of the 6-inch cakes in half (torte) horizontally.

Make the vanilla syrup: In a saucepan combine the water and sugar. Cook over medium heat until the mixture is steaming but not boiling and the sugar is melted. Remove from the heat and let cool. Add the vanilla. Liberally brush the syrup over the cake layers on all sides. Re-apply until you have used all of the syrup. Add more syrup to the larger cakes so they’ll be soaked through, and take care to not oversaturate the smaller cakes so they don’t fall apart when you assemble them.

Make the frosting: In a medium saucepan, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup of milk until smooth. Set over medium-high heat and let cook for 3 minutes, or until slightly hot. Whisk in remaining milk and salt. Whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of unset pudding (this can take up to 10 minutes). Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a shallow dish. Place in the refrigerator until cool. When cool, mixture will be thick like custard.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add vanilla and mix well. Beat in cooled flour mixture one tablespoon at a time on medium-high speed. When all the flour mixture is added beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 6 minutes. Rub a little frosting between your fingers, if sugar granules remain, beat for 4 more minutes, or until granules cannot be detected with fingers. Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag with a 1/2 hold snipped in the end.

Assemble the cake: Place a syrup-soaked 8-inch cake layer on a cake board or cake stand. Pipe a line of frosting around the top edge of the cake and pipe a little in the center, also. This will serve as a dam to hold in the filling, and the frosting in the center will help stabilize the finished cake. Spoon the filling in between the frosting and cover with some of the sliced fresh strawberries. Stack the second 8-inch cake layer on top. Cover the top of the 8-inch cake with a thin layer of frosting.

Add a torted 6-inch syrup-soaked layer on the top center of the 8-inch layer. Pipe a line of frosting around the top edge of the cake. Cover with strawberry glaze and top with some of the fresh strawberry slices. Repeat this process with the remaining 6-inch cake layers. Refrigerate the cake until the frosting is firm, about 20 minutes. Slightly trim away the top edges of the cake using a serrated knife, to give the cake a slight dome-shape (the finished trimmed cake doesn’t have to be a perfect dome, as most of the layers were kept with square edges; this can be a roughed-out shape).

Cover the outside of the cake using the remaining frosting and smooth into a dome shape. Add extra frosting to the top center of the cake to achieve a rounded top. Smooth using an offset spatula. Refrigerate until the frosting is firm to touch, about 25 minutes.

When the cake is well-chilled, pat the powdered sugar onto the sides of the cake using your hand; begin from the bottom and travel upward in sections. Brush away excess sugar from the bottom edge of the cake using a pastry brush.

To attach the strawberry decors around the bottom edge of the cake, dampen a pastry brush with water and brush it around the bottom edge of the cake. Press strawberry decors to the moistened cake edge; they should hold in place. If they don’t stick naturally, brush a little more water onto the edge of the cake and try again.

Insert by the pointed toothpick end of the large heart décor in the top of the cake, slightly off center. Cut the arrow skewer in half, and insert each end to the left and right of the cake’s sides, as if it has been pierced by Cupid’s arrow.

Refrigerate cake until an hour before serving. Serve cake slightly chilled. Store the cake covered in the refrigerator.

link Strawberry Chocolate Chip Love Spell Cake

By Heather Baird Published: Friday, January 31, 2020 Friday, January 31, 2020 Strawberry Chocolate Chip Love Spell Cake Recipe

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